Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with Sausage

Baked pasta with pockets of melted cheese inside with an easy-to-make sausage meat sauce (no chopping!). This hearty baked rigatoni is easy to prep, can be made ahead, and is a cozy and comforting dinner.

This baked rigatoni is what I like to call a “variation on a theme.” In this case, the theme is pasta baked in a dish with sauce and pockets of melty cheese baked inside.

It’s a twist on my favorite baked ziti recipe, but with rigatoni and an easy homemade sausage meat sauce that requires – are you ready? – no chopping. That’s right, no dicing onions and no mincing garlic for the sauce. So, let’s take a prep break and lean heavily on our pantry for this baked pasta.

I also love that you can assemble this dish a day ahead, store it in the refrigerator, and bake it later. And the leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days, too. So much to love!

Ingredients

• Rigatoni
• Olive oil
• Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
• Balsamic vinegar
• Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper
• Fire-roasted tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Ricotta cheese
• Provolone cheese
• Grated Asiago cheese or Parmesan cheese

How to Make It

☑️ Par Boil the Pasta

You only need to boil the pasta for about 3/4 of the time listed on the box. It will finish cooking in the oven with the sauce. I like to do this first, drain the rigatoni, and then use the same pot to make the sausage meat sauce.

☑️ Make the Meat Sauce

Heat the oil in the pot and then add the sausage. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks until it’s cooked through.

Add the vinegar and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as it simmers. Add the seasoning, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer it while you make the cheese mixture.

☑️ Make the Cheese Filling

Place the ricotta cheese in a small bowl. Add half of the provolone cheese and half of the asiago cheese. Stir to combine.

☑️ Assemble

Scoop a generous cup or so of the sauce and spread it in the baking dish. Top the sauce with half of the pasta.

Drop half of the cheese mixture by the spoonful on the pasta. Top the cheese with half of the meat sauce.

Top the sauce with the rest of the pasta, followed by the rest of the cheese and the rest of the sauce. Add provolone cheese slices and sprinkle on the rest of the asiago cheese.

☑️ Bake

Cover the pan with foil and bake the pasta for 20 minutes at 375°F. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling hot. Let the baked rigatoni sit for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

You can assemble it a day ahead and bake it the next day. Leave the baking dish out at room temperature while you preheat the oven. Depending on how cold it is when it goes in the oven, you may need to add five to ten minutes to the baking time.

Sometimes I can’t find provolone chees in a block or already shredded, so I use sliced provolone cheese instead. I slice half of it into thin strips and use those for the cheese filling. I slice the other pieces in half and use those for the top of the sauce.

More Baked Pasta Dishes

• White Lasagna
• Easy Tortellini Bake
• Baked Penne and Meatballs
• Stuffed Manicotti with Meat Sauce

More Recipes with Italian Sausage

• Oven Italian Sausage and Peppers
• One Pot Sundried Tomato Sausage Spaghetti
• Unstuffed Bell Pepper Soup
• Sausage Gnocchi Bake

This baked rigatoni is the best comfort food when it’s cold, and you want some comforting and filling! I hope you love it 🖤

Happy cooking,